East Fortune Beaufighter

Forum members might like to look at another Bristol machine that is having a wonderful restoration at East Fortune. Its a long job carried out by museum staff and dedicated people who are not just enthusiasts but have practical and qualified aeronautical experience. But then I am biased. Have a look for yourselves.

http://www.apss.org.uk/

The curator who bought the Beau was a proper aeroplane enthusiast (Indeed IIRC he left to go to the EAA at Oshkosh). He was also someone who would correspond with people! He was responsible for them getting P1127(RAF) XV277 as well.

Unfortunately, his successor was a ‘social historian’ with no experience or ‘feel’ for aviation. In addition, the feeling I got after that was that there was little enthusiasm for ‘military’ aircraft.

Then came the great white bird…..

As Robert says there was no restoration project for the Beaufighter.

There was however work carried out on the parts when the Spitfire was being restored at the latter stages prior to it moving in the Transport Museum in Glasgow and then onto Kelvingrove.

I think it was hoped the museum would raise enough money to fund the Spitfire people going onto restoring the Beaufighter next but this never happened. The APSS were also interested in restoring the Beaufighter but the museum have or at least had other ideas.

The only ones who will know about this now are the ones at the museum.

Why not give them a call and push them on a little.

The restoration project was stopped around 2005, when the Museum was restructured with the arrival of Concorde. The components went into storage in one of their buildings, and as far as I know, they are still there. Since then, other projects have taken precedence, like the arrival of the ex-Cosford airliners.

Andy

I am unaware that there was any “restoration project” for the Beaufighter. Although the parts went on display for a short time after their arrival they have had little or no work undertaken on them. Although as you say the arrival of the BAC One-Eleven and the Boeing 707 and Trident cockpits may have taken precedence “restoration” of any aircraft has been very low on the agenda (apart from the efforts of the Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland),

The restoration project was stopped around 2005, when the Museum was restructured with the arrival of Concorde. The components went into storage in one of their buildings, and as far as I know, they are still there. Since then, other projects have taken precedence, like the arrival of the ex-Cosford airliners.

Andy